months. She keeps blowing me off.”
Edie sighs. “She doesn’t trust men, Parker. She didn’t have a very good example growing up.”
“Aw . . . it warms my heart when you kids play nice,” John jests. “Now hug and make up,” he orders.
Edie flies toward me and wraps me in a strong embrace. When she pulls away, she stares up at me. “Nikki won’t make this easy for you,” she warns.
I snort. “Not surprised by that.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” she promises.
“Me too,” John adds, giving me a hard pat on the back.
“Just remember . . . her life has taken a drastic turn. She’s trying to cope, just like you. She’s just doing it with the extra side effect of pregnancy hormones.”
I nod once before we all climb back in the car. As we head to Nikki’s, I call the office and leave a message stating I’ve caught the stomach flu and may be out for a few days. My absence won’t go over well, but Nikki and I need to work a few things out. When I hang up, I lean my head back and close my eyes, trying to rein in my feelings. I’m scared shitless, if I’m being honest. Having a child was something I thought wouldn’t happen for a long time. I’m also mad as hell. No wonder she looked off last night. She was scared to tell me. She has no trust in me.
Taking a deep breath, I tell myself, “Man up, Parker.”
Pounding bangs at my front door, making me open my heavy eyes. I’ve only slept for a few hours and I’m exhausted. As soon as I walked in my door, I slipped my dress off, pulled on my fluffy terry cloth robe and fell into bed.
More pounding at the door.
I close my eyes, deciding to let whoever it is leave thinking I’m not home. But the pounding persists and then I hear the lock pop.
“Shit!” I pant as I whip the blankets back and jump out of bed. Someone is breaking in to my house. Running to my kitchen, I grab the large butcher’s knife from the block and fist the handle tightly as I hide behind the counter. When the door opens, I peek over the top and my stomach drops. I’d rather it have been a burglar. Parker is standing in my living room, looking around and Edie’s head is poked in, my spare key she keeps for emergencies in her hand.
“What the fuck, Parker?” I shriek as I stand. He whips around, his eyes wild, startled by me.
“He made me do it!” Edie defends herself when I cut my eyes to her.
“I’ll take it from here, Edie,” Parker growls before his arm flies out and slams the door shut as he strides toward me.
“Call me!” Edie shouts from outside.
I’m still holding the knife when Parker reaches me and grabs my wrist, pulling the knife from my hand and tossing it in the sink. Then he tugs me behind him into the living room.
“Sit,” he orders, pointing to my sofa chair. His eyes are narrowed, his mouth in a hard and flat line. He’s pissed. I guess he read my letter.
“Shouldn’t you be on your way back to New York right now?” I ask.
“Sit the fuck down, Nikki,” he demands.
“No!” I yell. “You can’t just come in my home and start ordering me around.”
“Nikki . . .” he manages through clenched teeth. “Please sit down.”
With a huff, I plop down. Parker moves to the coffee table and sits on the end so that he’s facing me. I want to tell him to get his ass off my coffee table, but I figure now’s not the time.
“I read your letter,” he begins, his gaze fixed on me.
Swallowing hard, I ask, “And?” I have no idea what to say. I wasn’t lying when I said I expected nothing from him.
He swallows. “Is everything . . . healthy? Are you okay?”
The tension in my shoulders releases a little with his thoughtful question. “Yes. We’re both healthy.”
He nods once and plants his elbows on his knees, dropping his head as if deep in thought. Knotting my fingers together in my lap, I fight the urge to fill the silence. When he’s ready, he’ll talk.
After a few moments, he raises his head and
Edie sighs. “She doesn’t trust men, Parker. She didn’t have a very good example growing up.”
“Aw . . . it warms my heart when you kids play nice,” John jests. “Now hug and make up,” he orders.
Edie flies toward me and wraps me in a strong embrace. When she pulls away, she stares up at me. “Nikki won’t make this easy for you,” she warns.
I snort. “Not surprised by that.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” she promises.
“Me too,” John adds, giving me a hard pat on the back.
“Just remember . . . her life has taken a drastic turn. She’s trying to cope, just like you. She’s just doing it with the extra side effect of pregnancy hormones.”
I nod once before we all climb back in the car. As we head to Nikki’s, I call the office and leave a message stating I’ve caught the stomach flu and may be out for a few days. My absence won’t go over well, but Nikki and I need to work a few things out. When I hang up, I lean my head back and close my eyes, trying to rein in my feelings. I’m scared shitless, if I’m being honest. Having a child was something I thought wouldn’t happen for a long time. I’m also mad as hell. No wonder she looked off last night. She was scared to tell me. She has no trust in me.
Taking a deep breath, I tell myself, “Man up, Parker.”
Pounding bangs at my front door, making me open my heavy eyes. I’ve only slept for a few hours and I’m exhausted. As soon as I walked in my door, I slipped my dress off, pulled on my fluffy terry cloth robe and fell into bed.
More pounding at the door.
I close my eyes, deciding to let whoever it is leave thinking I’m not home. But the pounding persists and then I hear the lock pop.
“Shit!” I pant as I whip the blankets back and jump out of bed. Someone is breaking in to my house. Running to my kitchen, I grab the large butcher’s knife from the block and fist the handle tightly as I hide behind the counter. When the door opens, I peek over the top and my stomach drops. I’d rather it have been a burglar. Parker is standing in my living room, looking around and Edie’s head is poked in, my spare key she keeps for emergencies in her hand.
“What the fuck, Parker?” I shriek as I stand. He whips around, his eyes wild, startled by me.
“He made me do it!” Edie defends herself when I cut my eyes to her.
“I’ll take it from here, Edie,” Parker growls before his arm flies out and slams the door shut as he strides toward me.
“Call me!” Edie shouts from outside.
I’m still holding the knife when Parker reaches me and grabs my wrist, pulling the knife from my hand and tossing it in the sink. Then he tugs me behind him into the living room.
“Sit,” he orders, pointing to my sofa chair. His eyes are narrowed, his mouth in a hard and flat line. He’s pissed. I guess he read my letter.
“Shouldn’t you be on your way back to New York right now?” I ask.
“Sit the fuck down, Nikki,” he demands.
“No!” I yell. “You can’t just come in my home and start ordering me around.”
“Nikki . . .” he manages through clenched teeth. “Please sit down.”
With a huff, I plop down. Parker moves to the coffee table and sits on the end so that he’s facing me. I want to tell him to get his ass off my coffee table, but I figure now’s not the time.
“I read your letter,” he begins, his gaze fixed on me.
Swallowing hard, I ask, “And?” I have no idea what to say. I wasn’t lying when I said I expected nothing from him.
He swallows. “Is everything . . . healthy? Are you okay?”
The tension in my shoulders releases a little with his thoughtful question. “Yes. We’re both healthy.”
He nods once and plants his elbows on his knees, dropping his head as if deep in thought. Knotting my fingers together in my lap, I fight the urge to fill the silence. When he’s ready, he’ll talk.
After a few moments, he raises his head and
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